


A Collection of Miraculous One-Shots

by p0pcandy



Series: Miraculous Ladybug Fanfics [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, One Shot Collection, some oneshots only focus on a certain character, tags for each oneshot is in the chapter notes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:40:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23697874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/p0pcandy/pseuds/p0pcandy
Summary: [Exerpt from "Rain"]“Adrien are you okay?” Ladybug asks softly putting a hand on his shoulder.“You like me?” he tests the water, flicking his gaze up to her. “You like…like me?” he waves to himself and if he thought her face couldn’t get redder he was wrong.“W-What makes you think that?” she squeaks out, rubbing the back of her head.[An assortment of Miraculous One-Shots from yours truly, each One-Shot will have their warnings/rating in the notes! Some are based on prompts, others are just things I had pop into my head in the middle of the night. Some may be old and written before cannon events, each that are will have a date in their notes as well.]
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Miraculous Ladybug Fanfics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1706644
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	1. Rain

**Author's Note:**

> Rating:General Audiences  
> Warnings:None
> 
> Tags:crackfic, canon-typical obliviousness, otp challenge
> 
> Ships:LadyNoir/Ladrien
> 
> Summary:Adrien meets with Ladybug as she's trying to fend off an Akuma, only for the Akuma to get annoyed that both Ladybug and Adrien are so oblivious to their own love for each other.
> 
> Date Originally Posted:08/28/17
> 
> A/N:This one-shot is a prompt from a 30 day OTP challenge I made way back in the day. This is day 6 "Rainy Day"

Rain patters down on the sidewalk as Adrien rushes towards a place to hide. It  just had to be another storm based akuma, it  just HAD to be. He slips into an alleyway opening his jacket to let Plagg out, “Come on Plagg, eat faster we don’t have time.” Adrien says, peeking his head out to see a few cars sliding down the watery road. “Jeez, what is she trying to do flood Paris?” Adrien retorts, hiding in the alley again.  Adrien tries to shake off some water and looks to his kwami only to see Plagg  slowly putting the cheese near his mouth . Adrien’s face drops into a “ really ?” look.

“Why are you looking at me that way?” Plagg says pulling the cheese away from his mouth.

“I’ve seen you swallow cheese bigger than that whole!  Just stuff it in your face we have to go!” Adrien hisses, grabbing Plagg and putting him in his shirt.  A quick glance to the ground makes him notice that the water on the ground was starting to rise…and that his shoes were now wet . With a grumble, he tries to sneak higher up the alley.  Hiding behind a dumpster he looks out onto the street where Ladybug was fighting the newest akuma, dodging what seems like every hit .

“She doesn’t look like she needs your help,” Plagg says peeking his head over the top of the dumpster. Adrien again gave him the same “ really ?” look before grabbing him.

“She could’ve seen you,” Adrien hisses, putting Plagg back in his jacket.

“As if you weren’t hoping she would,” Plagg murmurs from the jacket. Adrien rolls his eyes and tries to look back out to see what was happening…where was Ladybug? A thump behind him startled him enough to make him let out a small “eep!” as he turns to see Ladybug behind him.

“Adrien?”  she asks  quickly , her eyes widened before she grabs him and hid him with her as the akuma on top of a next-door building looks in their direction . “Where is that dumb cat?” she hisses under her breath, looking past Adrien as the akuma jumps away. Adrien broke into a small awkward smile. Did she see him as dumb? He let out a fake laugh as he looks at her. She finally looked back to him and seems to blush a little before  quickly getting up. “A...Adrien! What...What are you doing here?” ‘ Apparently being a dumb cat’ he thought with a sigh.

“I was walking from my house when it started storming,” he waves his hand at the sky, “Thanks, Hawkmoth! Another day ruined!” He looks back to her for a second seeing her cover her mouth to try to keep from giggling.

“Well we should get you home then,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. ‘No! Then I’ll have to run back here!’ Adrien thought protesting, while  slowly nodding with a smile. She got out her yo-yo and blinks a few times at Adrien.

He’s never seen her face go that red before…

“Is something wrong Ladybug?” he asks  softly seeing her bite her lip.

“No...Nothing’s wrong,” she stutters, closing her eyes and waving him over. A soft laugh left him as he walks closer to her. Was she afraid to carry him? It’s not like he was THAT frail, after all, he took more hits for her than anything else. Then again he had to remind himself he wasn’t in costume, and that she had no problem picking him up. She  shyly wraps an arm around his waist and hoisting them up onto a roof.

Which was a mistake…

The akuma from before knocks the two over on the roof with a gust of wind sent their way. Ladybug groans as she tries to get up. Adrien went stiff with a smile on his face as she sat up, and turns her head back towards the akuma who was laughing. “This akuma is so annoying!” she hisses.

“Ladybug?” Adrien squeaks out and she looks down at him, “You’re squishing me,” he whispers. She squeaks and jumps up off him.

“I’m so sorry Adrien!”

“It’s okay,” he says as he stands up, “Let’s get this akuma,” he thought over his words before sighing. Why did he always have to slip-up so  stupidly ?

“W-Wait we need to get you home.”

“Right,” Adrien mumbles trying to smile, “Let’s uh go to….my house…” He  awkwardly put his hand up to point in the direction of his house .

“R...Right,” Ladybug moves closer to him when the akuma yells to them.

“I’m still here you know!” Adrien could  clearly see Ladybug roll her eyes. “Come on and fight me Ladybug!”

“I will in a second can’t you see I’m doing something?!”  Ladybug hisses waving at Adrien,  suddenly he felt like he  was caught up in something much more different than a simple akuma attack .

“Is that dude your boyfriend?!” it screams over and both of their faces went red.

“B-Boyfriend?” They had both stuttered  simultaneously before looking at each other. Ladybug opens and closes her mouth before looking away  shyly . Did… wait did Ladybug like him? Adrien looks confused before the cogs start to turn in his head. She likes him…but she didn’t like him…but she didn’t know he was him or did she? Did she know who he was? Is that why she likes him? No, because that would mean that she would like him but she didn’t like him, but she did like him---

“Adrien are you okay?” Ladybug asks  softly putting a hand on his shoulder.

“You like me?” he tests the water, flicking his gaze up to her. “You like…like me?” he waves to himself and if he thought her face couldn’t get redder he was wrong.

“W-What makes you think that?” she squeaks out, rubbing the back of her head.

“Oh my god it’s so obvious,” the akuma groans.

“Nobody asked you!” Ladybug hisses at it before looking back at Adrien.

“So you do like me?” Adrien purses his lips before rubbing his chin. So she likes him…but she didn’t like him? Man, this secret identity thing was hard… How could he even get her to like Chat-or ah him? His head was starting to hurt.

“I-I…” Ladybug looks worried, before taking a deep breath, “Yeah, I do like you,” she murmurs. He blinks a few times at her before looking to the ground.

“I am so confused...” Ladybug looks at him and cocks her head.

“Wait, why are you confused?”

“You like me…but you don’t like me.”

“No, I like you,” Ladybug crosses her arms, “I  just like you.”

“So, you like Chat Noir?” Adrien blinks at her, trying to explain the situation at hand.

“No, I like you.”

“See.” Ladybug was looking more confused by the second. She opens and closes her mouth before squinting at Adrien. “See!” he waves his hands, at least he wasn’t the only one confused now.  Although it seems like she was more confused about what he was going on about other then what HE was actually confused about .

“Are we going to fight yet or?” Both Adrien and Ladybug looks at the shadow.

“Can’t you see we’re doing something?” they both say in unison.

“Fine.” The akuma grumbles.

“What are you saying, Adrien?” Ladybug whispers, looking from his eyes to back where the akuma was. The thing was starting to get impatient.

“I’m saying you don’t like me, not… not completely Ladybug…” he sighs crossing his arms. All this confusion could have  been avoided if Plagg would have hurried up. Ladybug shakes her head.

“Alright, enough of that.  Let’s get you home,” Adrien looks at her confused before she picks him up, looking back at the shadow who seems ready to follow . “Let’s go,” she swings her yo-yo and started swinging them in the direction of Adrien’s house. The weather akuma wasn’t far behind them, cackling and chasing after them. Adrien  quickly shielded his face from the rain as it starts to pour harder.

“Ladybug don’t you understand what I’m trying to tell you?”

“Other then you think I don’t like you? No, I don’t!” Ladybug swings them into a building before  quickly shutting the window. “It’s raining too much out there, I’ll never be able to get you home with it raining like that, will you be safe here?” Ladybug turns back to Adrien, he looks exhausted and annoyed.

“Yeah…I’ll be fine in here,”

“ Maybe I’ll catch you after I defeat this akuma?” she tries to give him a smile, and he returns it.

“Yeah,  maybe my lady.” A look of recognition flashes across her face but she says nothing before jumping out of the window.

“Man she is oblivious,” Plagg murmurs when the window slammed shut.

“I tried,” Adrien sighs shaking his head, “Plagg! Claws out!”


	2. It's Too Late

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating:Teen  
> Warnings:Depictions of Violence
> 
> Tags:Au where Emilie is dead, Character death, Angst
> 
> Ships:N/A
> 
> Summary:Adrien's mother goes missing and slowly the thought seeps in that she may have been killed. Adrien tries his hardest to block out the thoughts, but his father doesn't.
> 
> Date Originally Posted:09/12/17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one-shot is a one-shot I did for a challenge on the miraculous amino, if you wish to follow me there my name is popcandy

It had all started when his mother went missing.

Adrien had heard his father on the phone and that’s how he found out.  His father was trying his best to keep his cool on the phone, but Adrien could tell the fear and annoyance in his father’s voice .

Apparently , that morning after his mother had kissed Adrien on the forehead she had disappeared . She didn’t show up to work that morning, and his father never saw her. When Adrien had heard his father say this he remembered the initial denial. She had kissed him on the forehead that morning, she had told him she loved him. If she loved him she wouldn’t have left, right?

And as the days went by Adrien denied it more and more. His mom wasn’t missing, she was  probably at grandma’s and forgot to tell anyone, right? He denied it more when his grandmother had joined the search for his mother. He denied it when his father was up countless days and nights trying to search even for a glimpse of his mother.

_She wasn’t missing._

_She didn’t leave._

_She loved him._

It didn’t take long for the tabloids to start reporting what was happening. “Mrs. Agreste missing?” is what they usually started out with, it got worse as the days dragged on. People started thinking she had left him and his father because of the way his father acted towards her. But his mother had loved his father. He never saw her angry at him, he never saw him angry at her. His father staid out longer in the nights, sometimes he would hardly come home.

As the reporters got more vicious in their questions and theories, the more Adrien got shut in. The more Adrien got shut in, the less he saw his father.  He sometimes would go days without the presence of his father,  mostly it was  just his bodyguard and Natalie . He wouldn’t complain, and he wouldn’t say a word as his father put more responsibility on him.

When he did see his father, the conversations were brief, they were more about his duties for the day then they were about small talk, or what had happened . Even a “how are you doing?” from his father is all he wanted. More and more the days dragged on, Adrien was out of the house more than often and his father was there less and less.  Adrien had kept pictures of his mother everywhere, fearing if he stopped seeing her he’d forget what she looked like .

_He’d forget his mother’s sweet smile when she held him._

_He’d forget the way her eyes sparkled._

_He had already forgot the sound of her voice._

His father kept getting slimmer every time that he saw him, the times that his father came out of his office it was evident that the disappearance was taking a toll on him . He looked frail, tired, and sometimes he would see his father’s eyes red and puffy, as if he had been crying for hours on end.

Adrien had cried himself, but after seeing his father like this he took it upon himself to be the strong one.  His father had said nothing to him about his mother disappearing, he said nothing about what he was doing in his office those countless nights .

It wasn’t long before Adrien found the reports, it wasn’t long before Adrien  was pushed further back into denial. Adrien had gone into his father’s office one day, looking for his dad, when he saw the reports strewn about on his desk. Covered by letters and work pages were the newest reports on murders in Paris. Adrien tore the thought from his mind, he didn’t want to believe it. He didn’t want to think about the possibilities. He wanted his mother to be out there, at grandma’s, safe, where she should be.

_She wasn’t kidnapped._

_He wasn’t going to believe it._

_She wasn’t murdered._

_It wasn’t a possibility._

Adrien had tried to wipe the thoughts, he had tried his very best, but as the days went on the thoughts got louder.  Just like sour music he tried to drown it out. He tried to think about anything else but his mother. Anything.

That’s where he had gotten the idea of public school.

It was his new obsession.

Natalie wasn’t a bad teacher, but when she had been talking about psychology she had mentioned being around more people could help with depressing thoughts . The more he was around other people,  possibly , the more he could forget about his father’s ideas.  The more he could forget about the magazines and newspapers speaking about how Mrs. Agreste was most likely dead .

He didn’t want to believe what they were saying. He didn’t want to hear anything about his mother anymore. She wasn’t gone in his eyes. She was still out there. She was okay, if she wasn’t at Grandma’s she was somewhere else.

The denial grew and grew.

Public school was no help.  The rumors were spreading  quickly and people had talked about it when they thought he wasn’t listening . No one, but his friends, would keep quiet about it. Adrien never knew what he would say when someone asked. If he would ever confront them or not. If he would deny the claims and  be called naïve. He wasn’t sure about anything anymore.

The truth was, while the denial got stronger, the antagonizing thoughts got louder. They taunted him, they had called him naïve for denying what most of Paris was thinking by now. At first he was starting to believe she left because of him and his father. Did she never love him?

The days were turning into months.

There was no sign of his mother, not even a bag or a lost ticket. Everything in the house that was once hers  was locked away. He knew his father couldn’t bear to be without her. Soon his father was looking for other ways. It was almost a daily conversation by now, one his father had with the police. He would ask if they found any trace of her.

The answer was always no.

The calls stopped happening around the time Adrien got his miraculous. No one knew about Plagg, no one knew he was Chat Noir.

But the second life gave him more freedom, and with more freedom he got the chance to look for himself.

The patrols with Ladybug, although suggested by her, were more benefiting for him. He knew that the local crime rate had dropped since him and Ladybug had appeared. He knew the murders dwindled. Chat Noir would search the night for his lost mother. For any trace of her. He never found anything, he never found her.

Ladybug would  regularly ask what he was doing and why he was doing it. He never told her what happened. He didn’t want pity.

_He didn’t want empathy._

_He wanted his mother back._

He wanted to hear her tell him that she loved him again. He wanted to hear her tell him to have a good day at school. He  just wished he knew what she sounded like.

He knew her voice was lovely, more so then any music he had heard. Although like a song you once loved, he had forgotten the sweet sound of her voice. He knew he found some recollection in Ladybug’s but he knew it wasn’t his mother that he heard.

He  just wanted his mother back.

Why was the world so cruel to him? Why did it have to take her away?

Why couldn’t he bring her back?

The questions always haunted him. The thoughts always teased him. He thought it was his fault, he was the reason his mother ran away, he was the reason she never returned. It scared him, and it made him feel empty, but there was no thought sourer then the one that never left.

Had she  been murdered ?

Had someone been so cruel  as to take his own mother away from him? Was it a possibility? He had denied it so long, so hard, but it never stopped tormenting him. The thought of his mother’s lifeless corpse somewhere. Somewhere that he’d never be able to find her.

It was over a year now. Adrien had lost hope. He lost everything.  He knew his father had lost hope eons ago, never once had his father shown any emotion, or has ever spoke a word about his mother’s disappearance .

It was a foggy afternoon, there was a rain storm on its way. Adrien was looking at the news, if there was an akuma he would want to get there as quick as he could. That’s when it happened.

_She fit everything._

_Age, hair color, clothes._

_He wouldn’t believe it._

_It wasn’t his mother._

But the tears started forming anyway. The denial and the clenched jaw. He tried to pull back the tears, the sobs, whatever was coming over him. He didn’t know if his father saw. He didn’t know if he was thinking the same thing.

That was Adrien’s mother.

Found in a ditch, covered in mud and tarps. Her hands tied, her body rotting. They never showed the woman, but the description was enough to make him gag. Plagg was asleep when it happened.  He wouldn’t dare to wake anyone up with his sobs, but when he had run to the bathroom and emptied the contents of his stomach, he had explained he was sick to the small kwami .

The news was on a different topic when he came back. He didn’t want to listen anymore. He wanted the world to go away.

The denial came in waves, it never staid.

But the antagonizing thoughts did.

“That could be her” it would taunt, “And you never told her you loved her” the taunting got worse, “You let her die.” The taunting became name calling, and soon there was not a day where he wouldn’t call himself an idiot.

An idiot for not telling her that he was proud to be her son.

An idiot for not hugging her every chance he got.

An idiot for letting her leave that fateful morning.

It was days again, and then weeks, soon months. It  was confirmed that it was her. It was his mother. When that happened, he  was filled with new emotions. He never thought rage and grief would go so well together. He didn’t think that small things would ever start to get to him.

He knew he would have to be strong. He knew that he would have to fight through it.

But no thought was louder, and more prominent then the one that told him to seek revenge.


	3. Ghostly Goblins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating:General Audiences  
> Warnings:None
> 
> Tags:Halloween, kind of crackfic, change of pov a lot, spooky
> 
> Ships:LadyNoir/Adrientte
> 
> Summary:Adrien, Alya, Chloe and Marinette are out on a hike, little do they know they would get caught in a storm that would lead them to find a mysterious castle hidden in the trees.
> 
> Date Originally Posted:10/31/17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally posted this on the Miraculous Amino as a Halloween special for my followers! Enjoy!

The night was dark, the rain had started to turn into a trickle, but the four teenagers under an umbrella still huddled close. It had started with a hiking trail that they had gotten lost upon. Chloe, when asked to take care of the GPS had “ magically ” lost it. Although the other three seemed disappointed, she shrugged it off. She said if they needed directions they should have brought a map, and while they did, Marinette had lost track of it on the way up. The leaves crunching under their feet had become more of a squish from the rain-soaked leaves by now. While they meant to get back before sundown they were now trapped in bad weather. Alya saved the day by taking out an umbrella that Marinette had previously told her there was no need for her to pack.

“What do you think about my over-preparedness now Mari?” Alya said with a wink when she opened the umbrella just to accidentally hit Adrien in the stomach with it, which after trying to get Chloe to calm down, Alya apologized immensely for. The group had to now endure almost an hour of Chloe whining about her clothes and how her boots were getting all messy, and of course, the ever so famous line of “My daddy will be hearing about this !!” It had left Adrien to wonder why he invited her in the first place, other then, of course, Nino telling him his gig was more important, and it was a shame he couldn’t be there instead of stuck in the woods. He even vowed to see the end of it and noting how dark the sky was, it was clear he wouldn’t be able to make his promise. Chloe, well, she was also wondering the same thing as Adrien, why did he invite her?!

Obviously, it’s because he needed an actual company instead of hiking with these losers. It’s almost like her Adrienkins didn’t know her at all! She hated getting dirty! Although she may have lied about liking hiking just to go somewhere with Adrien. Not that she had to convince him, he was obviously begging her to come with him on the trip.

Now, Marinette and Alya were pretty much thinking the same thing; “ugh.”

Soon their soggy footsteps had more sound to them, almost like they were walking on rock now, and while Adrien was internally rejoicing they had made it to the rocky part of the mountain, it wasn’t long in his celebration that he was cut off by Chloe screaming, “A Castle !!”

“There’s no way a castle would be up here Chloe,” Marinette said with a scowl, but as the two girls behind Adrien could hardly see what was in front of them, an actual dark, brooding castle. Just the sheer size of it was intimidating, and Adrien lived in a mansion.

“Marinette…” Alya said as she looked over Chloe’s shoulder, “I think …for once Chloe is right…”

“Of course I’m right, I have eyes you know.” Chloe hissed back at Alya who rolled her eyes in return. The four stared at the castle in front of them, which all were sure they didn’t see climbing up the mountain either.

“So…Who’s going first?” Alya murmured, looking to Marinette, who was now vigorously shaking her head.

“We don’t know what’s in there Alya! It could be dangerous!” Marinette huddled closer to her friend, “We should keep moving, plus I’m sure that’s private property.” Alya was about to agree, but a loud thunder cut her sentence off before she could even start it.

“Ew!! It’s raining more! This is seriously such a bad day!!” Chloe whined as she huddled closer to Adrien, and if you listened closely enough you could hear him mutter, “you said it.”

More rain started to pelt down, leaving the teens with two choices: Risk going down a mountain in rain, _or_ ring the doorbell on the mysterious castle in the woods. Adrien moved forward, the umbrella and the three girls following him. “We have to go in, it’s starting to storm pretty badly, and there’s no way we would want to get caught out in it,” As much as Marinette felt like she needed to disagree with Adrien, she knew he was right. They had to seek shelter, only until the storm passed, and if this castle was here it was the best thing they had. The group walked up to the gate which was swaying with the harsh winds, and a bolt of lightning struck behind the house. Other than being textbook spooky, Marinette was getting an uneasy feeling about the castle in her gut.

What kind of castle just appears out of nowhere, and when you find it the dying storm suddenly kicks up? It just made no sense to her, and it chilled her to the bone…or maybe that was her soggy jacket. Adrien reached out and pushed the gate open, the squeak from the door resonating through the eerily quiet forest. Adrien paid no mind to the way this was making him feel, and the castle was giving him some red flags, like, who builds a castle in the forest on a mountain ?! He leads the girls up the staircase, swallowing down his fear to reassure the others that it was going to be alright. His eyes trailed across the enormous wooden door in front of them all. “Well, here goes nothing,” he thought as he reached out his hand for one of the knob knockers on the door and banged it twice. The door creaked slightly open and for a second Adrien considered sliding down the mountain instead of this.

Marinette leaned into her friends, well…friends and Chloe…as the door creaked open, showing the inside of a well-lit castle with a grand staircase right in the middle. “Do you think someone’s home?” she asked Adrien, who was still standing there in pure shock that he couldn’t even say a word.

“We can’t stay out here any longer anyway, let’s get inside,” Alya pushed, as she tried getting Adrien to snap out of his daze. The group slowly headed in, pushing their way into the main hall, and watching as lanterns flickered and swayed. The inside was beautiful, and even though there was almost no way the castle could be entirely made out of gold, the looks of it would make one assume it to be. Without warning the door closed behind the group. Chloe was the first to react, running to the door and trying to hurriedly open it up. She couldn’t make the door budge, and even when Alya had joined Chloe in trying to open the door it wouldn’t move an inch.

“Di…Did that just close on its own?” Marinette said out loud, thinking she was going to get a sarcastic answer from any one of them, but all she got was silence. Alya and Chloe stepped back from the door, both obviously in shock.

“How…did that happen?” Chloe questioned, for once taking the others aback. Chloe must be really scared to not start pointing fingers. Alya took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as she tried to rationalize the situation.

“Okay… So we know that it's raining outside right? So maybe it was just the wind or something that knocked the door closed,” She smiled back at the pair before looking to Chloe, “There are no such things as ghosts.”

“There’s Akumas,” Chloe argued, which made Marinette blink a few times.

“Yeah, but their existence is proven to be real, and the powers of superheroes, we know this. Ghosts are…” Alya waved her hand around nervously, “Fake!” She concluded.

Adrien had stopped listening a long time ago as he walked more into the house while folding up the umbrella. There was nearly no illumination from outside, and the light in the castle was fairly dim, almost to the point that he would consider it candlelit. Although the electric lanterns told a different story. The air was musty, slightly dusty, and tickled his nose every time he breathed in. It reminded him of his grandmother's house, and the familiarity kept him content. He could still hear the faint arguing when he walked farther into the hall.

“Adrien?” Marinette looked back, ignoring the other girls for now. Her eyes traced his steps as his body disappeared behind a wall. “Adrien!” this caught the other girl’s attention and all of them started to where Marinette had seen him disappear last.

“ Just great! No one thought to stop him?!” Chloe said as she tried to push the wall Adrien had disappeared into.

“This is exactly like a scooby doo house, you know? Secret tunnels, opening walls--”

“Well, could you be a little less Velma and _HELP_?!” Chloe screeched at Alya, and as much as Marinette wanted to tell the two to stop a sound caught her ears. Suddenly, the two girls arguing was just background noise as she moved forward down the hall. Marinette turned the corner as if the noise she heard was a voice calling to her, making her leave her friends…and Chloe

Adrien put his hands up defensively as the lights flashed on, so bright that they had blinded him for a second. The familiarity drained from his body as the room he was now in was dark and smelt more of leaked rain and mothballs. He blinked his eyes a few times as they adjusted. From the roof to the floor, the whole thing was made from stone bricks, each one covered with moss. He ran his hand along the stones and drew it back from the sudden cold dampness they gave off.

He finally could hear the fighting at the back of him, and for a second he thought his friends had followed him, but when he had turned to ask them about it, all he saw was another stone wall, not covered in moss, but standing dimly lit behind him. With a soft curse, he tried feeling around for anything on that wall that could get him out of there. That’s when he heard it…

_creeaak…_

He slowly turned around, suddenly not hearing his friends anymore.

* * *

She didn’t exactly know what the noise was, it was soft and sounded almost metallic, so when she had turned the corner to see nothing she was left confused. “There’s nothing down here…” The noise lost all effect on her when she had turned the corner, almost as if she was compelled to go there until the point she walked around that corner.

“Marinette!” her friend jumped her from behind, “never run off like that again girl!”

“Sorry, Alya I just …thought I heard something…” Marinette turned to her friend only to look over her shoulder to the dark hallway behind her.

“Tell us next time,”

“I didn’t want to get in-between you and your fight with Chloe,”

“It's not a normal thing for us,” Alya softly laughed, “Sorry, I’ll try to keep the fighting between you two,”

“Alya” Marinette softly hissed.

“ Just kidding girl, what did you hear?” That was just the thing, Marinette really wasn’t sure what she heard...

“It…sounded like a creak?”

* * *

Adrien walked towards the thing, hearing a soft voice say, “Are you crazy?” The voice startled him at first, but after taking a deep breath he decided to confront the sound, after all, he thought it was in a cheese coma.

“I’m just curious,” he whispered, he walked forward as a small light gleamed in the upcoming darkness.

“Curious and probably about to die,”

“Plagg…” Adrien hissed as he moved closer to the light, “This may look bad, but I assure you I’m fine,”

“Famous last words”

“Uh-huh,” Adrien rolled his eyes as he leaned into where the light was coming from, “This looks like another room. It could lead to the rest of the castle,”

“Or to your certain doom,”

“Would you stop with that?” Adrien remarked, looking at the small kwami, “Go through and see if it's safe,”

“No way! Kid you’d have to give me a hefty price to go first,”

“I’ll give you all the camembert you want when we get back! Just get in there and tell me if it's safe!!”

* * *

“Did you hear that?” Chloe looked around, noticing the two still hadn’t gotten back, “This isn’t funny if you’re trying pranking me! I’m the daughter of the- _AH_!!”

“Chloe!” Marinette cried as she tried turning the corner to get back to her.

“Wait! Girl, she’s probably pulling a prank on us!” Alya said as she held back her friend. Marinette thought it over, biting her lip as her thoughts raced. What if Chloe wasn’t playing with them and was actually in trouble?

“We…should still go, you never know,” Alya couldn’t, wouldn’t argue with her friend on that one. They ran around the corner to find…

nothing…

* * *

Chloe closed her eyes and held herself as she felt whisked away. When she opened her eyes, she saw a little girl standing in front of her, but not any little girl. Her blonde hair was curled and in pigtails, her dress was pink, and it bloomed out like a rose on her tiny body. As she turned to Chloe, she could see piercing pink eyes and heard her dress moving with her body in one big whoosh. “What are you doing in my castle?! Only Daddy said I could be in this castle!” Chloe flinched back as the girl swung out her scepter. “I’m a princess! And I want to rule over this land!”

“The…mountains?” Chloe raised an eyebrow at her, noticing how she glowered at Chloe, “The mountains belong to Paris, therefore, _I_ rule over them,” she challenged the girl.

“No! No! _No_!! Nobody tells the Princess what is and isn’t hers!” The little girl screeched.

* * *

The shriek echoed through the hallways, reaching the ears of the two girls, but most importantly, Adrien. “Did you hear that?”

“Yeah, it sounded like someone saying, ‘ _LET’S GET OUT OF HERE WHILE WE STILL CAN_ ’!”

“I didn’t take you for such a scaredy-cat, Plagg.”

“This isn’t the time Adrien!”

“Oh, I think I know just exactly what time it is!” Adrien looked out into the hallway, seeing no one. With a smirk, he turned back around to Plagg, “Claws out!”

* * *

Marinette bit her lip, there wasn’t anywhere to hide that she knew of that Alya wouldn’t follow, her only option was to wait until she lost Alya, sadly enough. “Ladies,” The voice was enough to rip a scream from Marinette as she jumped forward almost as if she was going to sprint. “Oops..” The boy chuckled from behind Marinette.

“Chat Noir?” Alya inquired, “How did you get here?”

“I was uh…out…on a uh…hike?” Chat weakly explained, “We have to find where that scream came from, any ideas?” Alya was quick to dismiss his obvious lie, in favor of, and dare she say it, finding Chloe.

“Chloe was here a second ago, now as you can see…”

“She’s gone..” Marinette finished her friend’s sentence. “We need to find her—and Adrien!” Chat smiled awkwardly, little did his friend know she had already found him…in a technical sense.

“Of course…Chloe first!” Chat stepped past the girls as if he was in a hurry, “Did any of you see where she went?” both girls had no clue. Just a scream and then she was gone. “Well, we better get to her before something bad happens, keep your eyes and ears out, I’ll contact Ladybug.”

* * *

“I’ll have you know my Dad is the mayor of Paris! You can’t “ _rule_ ” it because he already does!”

“Well, my Daddy said I can rule WHATEVER I want!”

“That’s not how it works!”

“It does if I say so!” The little girl stuck her tongue out at Chloe.

“Urgh!! What is WRONG with you?!”

* * *

“Why isn’t she picking up?” Chat hissed to himself, not noticing Marinette’s worried glimpses to him.

“Alya… I really need to use the bathroom,” she tried to lie.

“Girl, we don’t even know where one is, _and_ if you’re going to go find one, I’m coming with you.” It was really nice that Alya considered her getting kidnapped by this mysterious entity and all, but she absolutely needed to change into Ladybug, if Chat Noir was here because of a simple scream then there was only one thing this could be. She didn’t see him defeat an akuma by himself before, and she was sure he wasn’t just going to suddenly start now.

“She’s not answering, I guess we’re all just going to have to rely on me. But don't fear, I won’t let any bad guys hurt you two,” He winked at Marinette, who, when he turned around grunted and rolled her eyes.

“Seems like the cat has a little bit of a crush on you.”

“Careful Alya,” Marinette whispered, “Wouldn’t want to ruin your OTP now would you?” Alya softly laughed with Marinette as the two followed Chat Noir down the hallway into the main section of the castle.

“This is going to take days to search…” Chat whispered, and as if his hushed tone had summoned a higher power to help him, another scream was heard.

“Was that?” Alya asked, not noticing her friend bolting off.

* * *

“Tikki! Hurry before they try to come to look for me!” Marinette opened her backpack and her kwami flew out, getting ready for the words, “Spots on!” Ladybug took the place of Marinette in a flash of pink light, checking over herself before getting out her yo-yo. “Come on…pick up…”

“Ladybug! Did you know there was a castle on the mountain?”

“I do now, what’s going on?” Ladybug asked, knowing fully aware of what was going on as she looked for a window to sneak out of.

“Apparently, a lot, Chloe has disappeared,” Chat paused, “Along with Adrien…” suddenly a crackle was heard in the audio from the call, “Marinette?!” suddenly the call ended abruptly. Ladybug let out a grumble as she used her yo-yo instead to break through a window and swing back to the entrance of the castle.

* * *

Chat took out his baton as he got close to Alya, “What do you want?!” Chat yelled at the little girl holding Chloe in a rope.

“For you to have her back!” Chat blinked a few times before thinking it over, even the akumatized person didn’t like Chloe. It was a quick motion and the akumatized person threw Chloe towards Chat, “and for you to obey me!” Next, she aimed her scepter at the three.

“Sounds like someone else I know…” Alya grumbled as Chloe stuck her tongue out at her.

“Why do you want us to obey you?” Chat stalled, hoping the little girl would give in.

“Because Daddy said I could!” The little girl stomped her foot on the ground, “And then my teacher said being a princess wasn’t a real thing! That I couldn’t be a princess!” The little girl continued on with her tantrum, “BUT SHE’S WRONG! I AM A PRINCESS!”

“Again, sounds like someone I know,” Alya whispered, only getting a couple angered mumbles from Chloe as the girl struggled in her ropes, no doubt wanting to tell Alya off.

“Why?”

“BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT HE SAID!!” The girl had enough of Chat’s stalling and started to rush him, but quickly got tripped by a fast-moving red and black yo-yo.

“Watch out Chat!”

“Thanks for the save my lady,” Chat said, a bit thankful Ladybug had appeared when she did.

“Of course, Chat.“ Ladybug scanned her for anything to find, yet her eyes didn’t focus on something on the girl. “Where could that nasty bug be hiding?” she hissed under her breath.

“I’ll stall while you think of a plan then!” Chat said as he ran towards the little girl getting up. As Ladybug looked around her eyes caught the sliver guards starting to move towards Chat Noir. With a quick warning to him, he avoided a few and started to go after the others. Ladybug kept switching her eyes around before finally deciding to use her lucky charm. A red and black glass slipper fell into her hands, with a confused noise she continued to look around.

“What do I…oh!” Her eyes stopped on Chat Noir, “Oh Prince Charming!” Ladybug called as she threw both her yo-yo and the glass slipper. Without much heads up Chat caught the glass slipper and used it as a distraction.

“I want that!!” The little girl squealed as she started running over to him, the guards stopping in their tracks. Then the yo-yo wrapped around her and trapped her, and with a swift motion Chat grabbed for the pin Ladybug had missed in the little girl’s hair and threw it to Ladybug. With a quick snap, the akuma was released.

“And I didn’t even have to use my cataclysm,” Chat boasted with a smirk as Ladybug devilized the akuma and threw her lucky charm in the air.

After the swarm of ladybugs was gone, Ladybug looked around anxiously. “I don’t get it…” Soon, and slowly, the castle started to rot and disappear before their very eyes, “Where’s Adrien?” Chat perked up and a bead of sweat fell from his face.

“I’m sure he’s around here somewhere!” he said slightly higher-pitched then his previous statements and decided to get out his baton as if he was ready to run off, “Well! Got to go! See you around my lady,” he gave her a wink then was off. As Ladybug shook her head, she made her way over to the little girl hugging her hairpin to her chest.

“I knew a castle just couldn’t appear out of nowhere!” Chloe announced, letting go of Alya, who she had grabbed during the battle between the girl and the two heroes.

“Did you?” Alya challenged with a raise of her eyebrow.

Ladybug knelt down next to the girl, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Daddy said I would always be his princess,” the little girl held the pin to her, “I miss him…” Ladybug softly smiled as she hugged the little girl to her.

“I’m sure he wouldn’t want you sad,” Ladybug whispered before wiping the little girl's tears. “I can’t stay long, but I’m sure these two girls would be kind enough to take you back home,” Chloe blinked a few times.

“Anything for you Ladybug!!” Chloe squealed, as she stood to her full height, “I’d gladly take this rugrat home!” Alya rolled her eyes as she stood up as well.

“We’d be honored Ladybug,” Alya said, a smile engulfing her face. Ladybug returned the smile before using a tree and her yo-yo to swing away.

* * *

“Sorry Ma’am, we had no idea how she got in the forest,” Alya lied to the teacher who took in a relieved breath as the four teens stood before her with her missing student.

“Thank you, thank you all so much, I was so worried about Hannah,” the teacher bent down, “I shouldn’t have been so harsh on you, I’m sorry,” the little girl nodded before smiling.

“I forgive you, that’s what princesses do,” As the four teens tried to hold back the aw’s they wanted to say. Even Chloe who was trying to pass the sound off as annoyance. The teacher hugged her student before thanking them all another time, leading the girl inside the school.

“What a nice teacher, waiting the whole night until her student showed up again,” Marinette comments with a smile.

“Kind of stupid if you ask me..” Chloe grumbled, her arms crossed. She went ignored, mostly from Adrien who was trying to keep the mood light.

“Now that was a hike,” he sighed.

“At least it wasn’t a ghost,” Alya said as she waved her fingers in a ghost-like mock at Chloe.

“It totally could have been!”


	4. Come Back to Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating:Teen  
> Warnings:Depictions of Violence
> 
> Tags:Assumed Character death, Angst, Chat Blanc, pre-season 2, canon divergent, half identity reveal
> 
> Ships:Ladynoir/Marichat
> 
> Summary:A new Akuma proves to be a greater threat than our heroes previously thought, tearing through the city an Akuma going by the name "Demolition" wrecks havoc through the city, and when our heroes go to defeat it they're met with explosions. 
> 
> Date Originally Posted:08/24/17

"Claws out!" Chat Noir screams, running from his hiding place as his transformation finishes. Plagg had taken too long to eat, and the akuma Ladybug was facing was dangerous. If anything on it got broken the object would explode, and Chat Noir had found that out the hard way with a cataclysm to its staff that Ladybug had pulled him away from just in time.

The akuma went by the name "Demolition" a pyrotechnic operator that had gotten made fun of by Chloe for his "utterly ridiculous" firework performance. Now he was hellbent on destroying Paris in a blaze of glory. Unfortunately, that meant explosives, which had already thrown Chat Noir and Ladybug around a fair bit.

Sliding downwards to nearly dodge a flying boulder, Chat is ripped from his thoughts. The akumas were getting stronger by the day, to the point Chat had wondered if Hawkmoth had only been playing with them before. Another explosion goes off, causing Chat Noir to cover his head for protection. They were nearly indestructible, but that didn't mean nothing could hurt them. He lifts his head, seeing Ladybug feet away, gripping her side as she grits her teeth.

Man, that girl was strong.

He gives her a grin that she fails to see, it doesn't seem like she's even noticed him yet. She lunges towards the akuma, jumping onto it to rip something off it's chest. The akumatized victim screams at her as she jumps back, snapping the pin in half. A small black and purple butterfly flutters from it, but something still feels wrong. Ladybug goes to reach for her yo-yo and Chat swears he can hear soft ticking.

ticking of a...

Chat screams for Ladybug to watch out, getting out his baton but as she looks to him, he knows it's already too late. The pin in her hand explodes, throwing her into the air. In the midst of her panic, she's able to grab her yo-yo and catch the butterfly in it.

While amid his own panic he couldn't move. His feet became lead as her body slams into the ground, bouncing as debris from the explosion bounce along with her. She hits the ground rough, headfirst into the pavement below. Her limp body rolls with the debris, coming to a short stop just feet from where it happened.

Chat Noir watches in horror, and finally as her body seems to stiffen his own releases him. Slowly he walks forward while a white butterfly flies past him in a stuttered flight. His body shakes, his heart pounds in his ears, watching her heave out breaths. She had to be struggling for air and soon she was laying there unmoving, her side barely lifting to show breath at all.

"Ladybug?" Chat Noir can hear himself say, though he didn't feel his mouth move. He kneels beside her broken and limp body, reaching out one of his hands to pull her into his arms. "Are...Are you..." in the back of his mind something is scolding, yelling at him. If he hadn't used his cataclysm so soon none of this would have happened. She wouldn't have had to fight the akuma by herself. This explosion could have been for him instead. She would've been safe.

He pulls her closer, her eyes were closed shut, and her jaw was open enough that some blood trickled out. His own eyes welled with tears, his body shaking as he watches his partner slip away from him.

They were indestructible...

She would be fine...

Though his thoughts did little to cut the reality of the situation. He reaches his hand to her neck, checking for a pulse. As many times as he tried to tell himself everything was fine, he knew somewhere in the back of his mind it wasn't.

No pulse.

He tries frantically to check her wrist. Still nothing. He leans his head to her mouth. Nothing.

This couldn't be happening.

This WASN'T happening.

With a choked sob he pulls her to his chest, frantically wiping the blood off her face. It trickles out of her mouth and nose, small gashes lining her face. Still he tries to wipe it away. She wasn't hurt, she couldn't be hurt. She was Ladybug. Everything was fine.

Once he realizes there's no stop to the blood, he cradles her in his arms, forehead touching hers. His tears fell onto her cheeks, sliding down them and onto the ground below the two. "Ladybug..." Chat Noir sobs out, his hand gripping onto her fading body.

He lifts his head in desperation, hoping someone else would be there that would help him, be able to do what his body wouldn't allow him to. No one stood before them, only the fire and destruction of the city around him. Tears were streaming down his face at this point, falling from his cheeks onto her own paling face. Was there anything he could do?

His eyes drift back to her, reaching his hand from under her to place on top of her chest. He pushes down, his other hand on top of his fist. He pushes and pushes, trying to get her to breathe, but her body was still limp and lifeless. Nothing was changing, no matter how hard he tried. Through his broken sobs, he can hear the soft beep of her miraculous. The sound cut through him like knives, ruining his already fragile state.

He looks to her, a lump of ice starting to form in his throat. She was only a minute away from detransforming, a minute away from letting her secret identity be revealed.

'Not like this.' he thinks to himself, scooping her up into his arms. She was a minute away from detransforming, a minute away from showing him who she is---and she wasn't breathing. His vision is blurred with tears as he runs, he's not sure where he's going but he knows that his legs will carry them to safety.

Though his legs begin to shake as he runs, unsteady like his breathing. Her frail frame bobbed in his arms as he ran, and he knew deep down what this meant. The beeping from her earrings got louder, and he looks to her only for his legs to give out. He falls to the ground, Ladybug falling from his grasp to roll on the pavement.

He struggles to get up, whining in pain as he looks ahead of him. A bright pink flash. He knows he should look away, give her peace in what is possibly her last moments. Let her identity stay a mystery.

But he can't.

He stares on as her suit vanishes, leaving just a crumpled black jacket over her frame, her pink jeans ripped and burned.

That's when it came crashing down.

That's when the world he thought he knew got destroyed.

"Ma..." is all he can squeeze out, he stands to his knees, crawling over to her broken body. To Marinette's broken body. He starts to shake his head; he wasn't going to accept this as reality. This was a nightmare. This was all a nightmare. "Marinette..." he whines out, his clawed hands desperately trying to turn her to him, but he can't find the strength.

His hands instead slam into the ground below him, claws digging into the dirt to keep himself grounded. "No!" he screams, tears falling like waterfalls out of his eyes. "No! No! NO! MARINETTE!" His eyes, though fogged over with endless tears, could make out her soft pale features. He desperately reaches for her lifeless body, "Please, please come back to me..." he sobs out, throat sore and wrecked.

He brings his hand to cup her face, her pale, drained face. His eyes squeeze shut but the image is burned into his thoughts. His friend, his partner, all along it was Marinette. His mouth is open in a silent scream as he pulls her body to him. His lady, his princess, his partner. "Come back to me--" he's cut off by his own sobs, opening his eyes to find her hand. He cups it into his own, pulling it to his cheek.

Marinette, Ladybug. They would be gone forever. His body ached, his lungs were tight, and he felt like he was suffocating. The light of his world was fading.

He squeezes her hand tighter, his teeth starting to grit. His eyes burned, his tears feeling like fire as they rolled off his cheeks. This was all Hawkmoth's fault. Hawkmoth killed Marinette. Hawkmoth killed Ladybug. His vision went red. He felt a shiver run up his spine as he squeezed the hand in his. Hawkmoth was going to pay for what he did to Marinette. "We need to get her to a hospital; I can still feel lifeforce in her--" he thinks he hears a voice plea. Though his own thoughts overpower the voice.

Hawkmoth was going to pay.

"Chat Noir!" the voice screams, but it still goes ignored by the broken hero. "Chat Noir you need to be positive!" but the warnings are too late, and a black butterfly flies into his bell.

"Chat Blanc." A voice comes into his head, silencing the screaming thoughts he was having. "I am Hawkmoth," Chat can feel himself tense at the mere mention of the name. The one who hurt Marinette like this. "I will give you unlimited destruction powers to get revenge for your friend--But first you must bring me Ladybug's miraculous."

In front of him, he sees the red kwami staring at him in fear, earrings in her paws. "I'm so sorry," he whispers out to her, knowing he was too far gone. She sees it too and flies away in a hurry. It was for the best. His mind clouds, his negative feelings consuming him as a black swarm changes his black suit to white. His blue eyes shine in the light of the fire, and the once golden bell on his neck rusts, flakes of its golden color falling onto Marinette. Chat's body washes with a calm he wishes he had from the start.

He moves Marinette into his arms, picking her body up as he stands. "Don't worry princess," he whispers to her, knowing his voice was going unheard. "I won't let him get away with this." Hawkmoth was gravely mistaken if he thought Chat Blanc would let him get away with hurting Marinette.

A simple akuma wasn't going to change his mind.

His priority was to get Marinette to a hospital. Although he didn't say anything when the kwami was warning him, it had stuck in his mind. She wasn't dead, but she was close. He knew Hawkmoth would deakumatize him at the first sign of rebellion. He would have to at some point get the earrings back, but right now the most important thing was Marinette.

As he moves, he looks down at her, his eyes misting as he holds her to him. It wasn't long before he arrived at a hospital, around him people clung to their loved ones. They must all be terrified that Ladybug hadn't fixed everything yet.

The doors open and he walks in, still clutching her to him. He could feel people's eyes on him, wondering why he had a sudden change in costume. Some got the idea right away, and their eyes lost their hope. One that understood took a step forward, their eyes darting from Chat Blanc to the body in his hands.

"Please," his voice, where before sounded like a plea, now sounded demanding. "She's hurt." He steps further into the hospital, pulling Marinette from his chest. "Please help her."

"Chat Noir?" The one who stepped from the crowd, a doctor by the looks of it, asks. Their eyes were wide, their hands seem to shake. "Is that you?" the disbelief in their voice almost made Chat Noir realize what he had become.

"Please," his voice wavers, stepping closer to which the doctor returns by stepping back. Marinette needed help! She was dying and all these doctors could do was stare in disbelief at him! The anger boils over until he can't take it anymore, "HELP HER!" he screams, a low growl following it. The doctor that had stepped forward took the orders with shaky, nervous movements.

Their own orders followed, and soon Marinette was taken from Chat Blanc's hands. Marinette would be safe here, she would heal and come back to him. For now, he had other plans. He watches her be carried away before he turns, walking out of the hospital. If he was able to find Hawkmoth, he could end all this now.

This would be difficult, especially hiding the fact he's hunting Hawkmoth while he was akumatized. He had to do it for Ladybug. For Marinette. His claws grip onto the wall, sinking into it. He uses this to climb up onto the roof of the hospital. Once he's on top of the building his blue eyes search for a higher point. He'd work his way around Paris if he had to.

Hawkmoth was going down. That was a promise.

"Clear!" an electric shock is sent from her chest into her heart, then another. "Raise it! Clear!" a harsh jolt and--

Marinette gasps awake, her heart racing as she struggles in the hospital bed. "Anesthetic! Hurry!" Her bell blue eyes shift wildly as she tries to make out the situation. Soon, all she could see was black.

Marinette opens her eyes; a sterile hospital room is all she can see. She sits up, heaving out a few coughs. What had happened? She looks to her hand, small blood droplets sliding down it.

Wide-eyed she starts to breathe heavier, and beside her, the heart monitor beeps faster. Where was she? What happened? How did she get here? Why was she hurt? She tries to scream, but her throat is dangerously dry and sore. A nurse rushes in, an IV bag in her hand. She's rushing towards Marinette, seeing the girl starting to cry amid her panic.

"Ma'am? Are you with me?" the nurse grips onto her shoulder, and Marinette holds a panicked gaze, "You're in a hospital, you're alright now." The nurse looks at Marinette's hand. "Don't worry Ma'am you're still recovering." The nurse reaches for a tissue, wiping the blood off Marinette's hand.

"What happened?" Marinette squeaks her voice barely over a whisper. "What happened?" she asks again, a tear falling from her cheek.

"Chat Noir brought you into the hospital." Marinette stares on, a million thoughts racing through her head. Does that mean he's still here? Did he meet the same fate as she did? Was he alright? Did he know who she really was?

"Where is he?" she questions, trying to calm herself down, only it wasn't working. "Where's Chat Noir?" The nurse opens her mouth but closes it as she looks to the ground.

"I'm so sorry, that was hours ago. No one has seen him at all."

"What do you mean?" Marinette whispers, clutching the bed sheet underneath her hand. She moves to get up, ready to search for her partner. Though a jolt of pain rocked through her body, making a loud whine escape her lips.

"Ma'am please stay in bed." The nurse gently leads Marinette to lay back down in the bed. "You're still healing." Marinette reluctantly listens, her eyes glossing over with tears.

Was Chat okay? If no one had seen him then what happened to him? She watches the nurse put a new IV in. If he was anywhere near her when whatever happened to her happened, then he would be hurt too wouldn't he? The nurse leaves the room, and everything goes quiet.

Her hand raises to her ears, another wave of shock coming over her body. Her earrings were gone. Frantically she searches the bed, ignoring the pain that it brought to her.

Where were her earrings? Where were they? Had Chat Noir taken them?

Did that mean...

A knock at the window breaks her thoughts. Her eyes shift over, seeing a white figure opening the window slowly.

It's not until it steps into the room that she recognizes it.

"Chat Noir?" Marinette whimpers and the white figure gives her a grin.

"Don't fret princess, I'm here." He moves across the room, standing beside her bed. Her eyes trail him, his once black suit now pure white, and his bell sits rusted and broken.

"What happened to you?" she asks, already knowing the answer. He had been akumatized. Did he have her earrings? Did he know she was Ladybug?

"I think we both know that Marinette." his voice was oddly calm for the situation. He spreads his hand on the hospital bed, his blue eyes could burn holes into it. Slowly she shook her head, feeling a lump of ice in her throat.

"No... No there's no way," her voice wavers, reaching out her hand to put on his. "Please tell me this isn't real." She sobs out. How did this happen? How did she let this happen? Her partner, her friend. He was lost now. Chat looks up to her, his eyes softening as he grabs her hand and pulls it to his cheek.

"This is just a nightmare Marinette." Chat whispers, bringing the palm of her hand to his lips to lay a soft kiss on it. "It'll stop soon. Go back to sleep, my princess."

“I’m so sorry Chat, I’m so--“ her voice brakes, letting out another sob, “I’m so sorry.” She cries, feeling him pull her to his chest. Why did he get akumatized? What had she done? Her chest tightens as she tries to hold back her sobs. The overwhelming “This is your fault” took over her mind. She had done this to him, she was the reason he was akumatized.

Not only that, without her earrings she had no power against him.

She was useless.

She couldn’t save her friend, her partner. Another sob as she continues to cry into his chest. She had failed her partner; she had failed Chat Noir. "I'm so sorry Chaton--"

"Shh..." Chat says, trying to soothe her as his hand reaches up to her ear. "Your miraculous is gone isn't it?" he whispers, and she pulls back instinctively. "I won't ever hurt you, Marinette," he says this, but Marinette can feel an overwhelming fear rise in her chest.

"Do you have them?" her voice is frail, weak, and wavering as she tries to hold back her tears. Slowly he shakes his head, staring at her face. His thumb wipes at her cheek, wiping a few falling tears away.

"Your kwami must have taken them away." She swears she can hear him growl, but his face is so calm and emotionless. "I'll bring them back," he says, barely above a whisper as he leans in to leave a kiss on her cheek. He moves from the bed, walking towards the window.

"Don't try to stop me, Marinette. I don't want you hurt," he says, and she's sure it's through gritted teeth. Then he's out of the window, out of her sight. She lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding as her body is wracked with sobs.

"Is he gone?" Marinette goes stiff, recognizing the voice immediately. She turns her head, seeing the small red kwami peeking her head out from the curtain.

"Tikki?" Marinette's voice squeezes out. Her kwami locks eyes with her, and she swears she can see worry all over her face.

"Marinette I was so worried!" Tikki cries, flying from her hiding space. She drops the earrings onto the bed, flying into her holder's face to hug her. "Never do something like that again." Tikki's grip tightens as Marinette reaches her hand up to hold her.

"I'm so sorry Tikki--" she starts to say, cut off by one of her own sobs, "If it wasn't for me Chat Noir he'd--"

"Marinette it wasn't your fault!" Tikki flies back from her holder's face. "This is Hawkmoth's fault, Marinette."

"But Chat Noir he--"

"He needs your help." Tikki cuts her off, floating down to the earrings on Marinette's lap, "I'm sorry to ask this of you Marinette, but you're the only one who can stop him." Marinette's hand hovers over the small earrings, breathing in deeply with a hitch in her breath. She puts on her earrings, looking down as she thinks over who had visited her just moments before.

This was Chat Noir, he still had to have some common sense, right?

“Tikki,” she sighs out, sitting as straight as she could, “Spots on.”

Chat Blanc clutches his bell, a frown across his features. If Marinette didn't hold the earrings anymore then the ladybug kwami had found another. Meaning he would have to fight the next Ladybug to get Marinette's earrings back. He slides down the Eiffel Tower, one hand clutching to the bell while the other holds onto the metal frame of the tower.

"Why aren't you going after the miraculous?!" he hears Hawkmoth scream in his head. He can feel himself grit his teeth; this man was starting to get on his nerves.

"I don't know where they are." That wasn't a lie, but it seemed the villain on the other end wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Find it! Or else---" Chat feels power being taken away from him, only strengthening his anger more. It was time Chat Blanc came clean about his intentions.

"I plan on finding you first." he grits through the pain, his eyes going into slits with a snarl coming to his features. "You hurt Marinette." Chat's hand squeezes tighter around his bell. "I plan to hurt you."

"Foolish boy, I can take away your powers--"

"Then do it. It won't stop me." Chat hisses and the pain increases. Hawkmoth wouldn't dare take away his control over him, and he knew that. It wasn't dire yet, and they both knew Hawkmoth was playing a game.

One that he would lose.

"Get her miraculous." Hawkmoth growls, extracting more power from Chat Blanc until the former cat hero yowls in pain. Even though this wouldn't stop Chat. Powers or no powers, ring or no ring, he was still going to hunt down Hawkmoth.

  
  


Ladybug hits the ground rough, holding onto her side as the shockwave of the landing flows through her body. Standing she looks around the wasteland that is now Paris. Fires lit the area around the Eiffel Tower, black marks littered the ground from previous explosions. Had she gotten caught in one of these? She turns her gaze away from the destruction, focusing in front of her.

She couldn't stall, she had a duty to keep Paris safe.

She moves towards the bottom of the tower, and just like she suspected her former partner jumps down feet away from her. "I told you not to get in my way Marinette." She swallows the lump in her throat. Chat Noir needed her help, he wasn't in the right mindset to hear her out.

It didn't mean she wasn't going to try.

"Please Chat, this isn't you," she begs, hand falling from her injured side to hold out towards him. "Tell me where the akuma is and I can fix all of this." He stands tall, moving from his landing stance. She can see his pained blue eyes trail over her hand.

"Marinette," he whispers, hand splaying onto his chest. "I can't," he says, his blue eyes narrow on her. "I can't let you stop me."

"I can't let you be like this." She says her frown deepening as he looks down below to the cracked and stained concrete. Once a sigh leaves his mouth, she thinks she convinced him.

That changed when he looked back up with a malicious gaze. "Don't make me hurt you." His face holds almost no emotion, but a hint of anger and he lifts his hand in a flicking motion, a white orb starting to form near his two fingers.

"Chaton..." Ladybug whines, grabbing her yo-yo for a quick getaway, "I don't want to fight you."

"Neither did I." he flicks his fingers, the white orb flying towards her impossibly fast, and it's a borderline miracle she dodges it. She hides behind a piece of rubble, clutching her yoyo to her chest.

What would she do now? He wasn't going to listen to reason. He just wanted to carry out his plan. Which was what? She turns her head to see him staring in the direction that he had thrown the orb. Her eyes focus hard on him, trying to think of any plan at all. Unfortunately, she can't. Her mind is still hazed with pain and the painkillers she no doubt was given.

Calling on her powers a small red rose falls into her hands. "What?" she questions, only to look back to her former partner. Nothing lights up, but she can remember each time he had given her a rose just like this. Slowly she moves from cover, pushing herself up into a standing position.

He notices her almost immediately, moving his hand in her direction, "You really are miraculous." she can hear him say, "It's a shame you're getting in my way."

"Chat please--" she says through gritted teeth, walking out of her cover, "We're a team. You know I'd help you with anything." Her eyes flicker down to the rose, a frown appearing on her face. "Tell me what your plan is, please." Her eyes switch back to him, his own resting on her.

"My lady..." he whispers, and even from where she is, she can see tears starting to form in his eyes. "He hurt you." he chokes out, lowering his hand. "He almost killed you--" he's cut off by his own yowl in pain as he crumples to the ground.

"Chat Noir!" Ladybug yells out to him, rushing to his side. She kneels down, her hand on his back.

"Run..." he whispers, "Run away from me my lady." his blue eyes meet hers, clouded and misty.

"No, no---no Chat--"

"Please, Marinette." She shakes her head, pulling him into her arms.

"We can still defeat this Chat, hold on for me." She feels his hand snake to her cheek, and she pulls back to look at him. Her eyes darted down to the rusted bell around his neck. "Where is the akuma? I'll fix this," she's pushed back slightly by the former cat hero. A tear falls down his cheek, but his eyes are fixed on her earrings.

"I'm so sorry," he whispers, and a white glow starts to form beside them.

Ladybug pulls him closer, grabbing at his suit. "Chaton..." she whispers back, her hand reaching for his rusted bell, smashing it in her grip. A purple haze rushes over Chat and a small black butterfly flutters from his crushed bell. He slumps into her arms, "Please Chat, come back to me." Ladybug grits her teeth, grabbing her yoyo from beside her.

A swing and the butterfly is purified, fluttering from her yoyo. "Goodbye, little butterfly." She whispers as it flutters off. She leans her head down, resting her face into the hair of her partner.

His body was limp but still warm. She pushes her face deeper, holding back a sob as she pulls him closer. "Come back to me." Her eyes open and she raises her head to look at the rose she had gotten. She grabs for it, tossing it in the air with a whisper of her power. As the swarm of butterflies engulfs them, she feels all the pain lift from her body.

Around them the once torn and destroyed Paris becomes its normal, beautiful self again. She tries to hold a smile as tears come down her face.

"Ladybug?" She hears her companion call from her arms. She looks down at him, his green eyes shining with tears. "Never leave me again." Ladybug hitches her breath, a laugh mixing with a sob as she pulls him to her, and his arms wrap around her.

"Silly cat." she blubbers, hiding her face in his neck, and she can hear a small chuckle leave her partner. The hug becomes tighter as the two teens let themselves have just this moment.

To Chat, everything was right again. Marinette was well and in his arms with a beating heart. That's all it took to make him content.

But he wasn't done with Hawkmoth.

Not by a long shot.


End file.
